When family and friends list all the things Boulder's Jim Fogelberg enjoyed doing in his free time, it's hard to imagine how he found enough hours in the day to enjoy them all.

"He was a Renaissance man," said his wife, Geni. "He used all sides of his brain, creative, analytical. He could just do it all."

All of the people Fogelberg met in his many adventures mourned Wednesday upon hearing that Fogelberg, 64, was struck and killed Tuesday evening in a collision with a car in Fort Collins where he worked.

A Fairview High and University of Colorado graduate, Fogelberg was a multi-talented man who could do just about whatever he set his mind to, his family said.

"He could do pretty much anything, no exaggeration," said Robyn Fogelberg, Jim's sister-in-law. "He had so many interests."

Those interests included cycling, music, astronomy, skiing, carpentry and acting. And when he did something, his friends said he was usually pretty good at it.

"When you think about him, you can think of him in so many different ways because he was so talented in so many different things," said Harv Mastarlir, who has known Fogelberg since they were kids.

"You have your story about riding a bike with him, knowing he could smoke you but he stayed back so he could talk to you. Or when you were playing music and you know he's so talented and so good, but he was kind of playing back with you to keep everything equal. That's kind of how he was. He never tried to be better than other people even when it was obvious that he was.

"He was this really great guy, one of those good people you get to meet. I'm fortunate I got to know him and spend as much time with him as I did."

Joan Bell, who knew Fogelberg through the Upstart Crow, a Boulder acting group that both she and Fogelberg were part of, said the news of his death was shocking to everyone.

"Total disbelief," she said. "All I could think was that he wasn't here anymore, a very good friend wasn't here anymore."

Robyn Fogelberg said she still remembers after her husband Dan -- Jim's brother -- had a heart attack that left him without some of his memories, Jim visited every day after work to be with him and served as his "window to the past."

"He was very selfless. He would do anything for anyone," she said. "He was a wonderful father, a wonderful husband, a wonderful friend."

"He had this passion

Geni Fogelberg met her future husband while the two worked together in Boulder. At one point while the two were dating, they were each looking for separate places to live, but their realtor showed them a home up on Sugarloaf Road they instantly knew was meant for both of them.

"Have you ever seen or done something that you knew at the time was 1.000 percent right?" she said. "We had to buy it together to afford it, but we just said, "Oh my God, yes.' I still live here."

Jim had two children, a 23-year-old daughter Annika and a 21-year-old son James -- who goes by Tory -- and passed on his various interests on to them.

"He had this passion for learning, being able to do whatever he wanted to do," Tory said. "That kind of inspiration was powerful."

Tory recalled hours-long music sessions in the recording studio Jim had built in their barn and his father sharing his love of astronomy with him.

"I plan on eventually going to school for astrophysics because of him," Tory said. "He just defined this wonderful world around me through what he knew about science."

But while Fogelberg was always ready to talk to them about the things he had done, his daughter Annika said he never once forced his interest onto them or tried to shape them, when they were growing up.

"He never let anybody tell him who he was, and he was very confident in who he was and what he loved and what he believed in," she said. "My dad tried so hard to make sure we were our own people. If I believed something, he wouldn't pressure me. He just made sure I believed, and that takes a lot."

Yet Annika said even though her father never tried to change who they were, she said by doing that, she wanted to be even more like him.

"I always looked up to him and wanted to be like him, I wanted to be that rock," she said. "He was my dad, and I was his little girl."

The collision

According to Fort Collins police, Fogelberg was riding east on Harmony Road in the bicycle lane when a 2004 Nissan Titan being driven by 50-year-old Bradley Hansen, of Fort Collins -- made a left turn in front of him on Hinsdale Drive, causing Fogelberg to collide with the front of the truck.

Fogelberg was transported to Medical Center of the Rockies but died at the hospital. His family said Fogelberg worked at Advanced Energy in Fort Collins, and was taking a bike ride after a workout at a gym in Fort Collins when he was hit.

No charges have yet been filed, though police said the investigation is still on-going.

Boulder is pretty good at producing rock bands, and by "rock," we mean the in-your-face, guitar-heavy, leather-clad variety — you know, the good kind. For a prime example, look no farther than BANDITS. Full Story